Square dancing club to have open house in Covington on Feb. 27

I heard recently that dancing is good exercise for the brain. The more you dance, the better your brain works. I don’t know about you, but my brain could certainly use a good workout. The problem for me is that dancing is a bit out of my comfort zone.

If you share the same discomfort, the Ozone Squares Square Dancing Club has just the thing for you: an open house to familiarize newcomers with some square dancing steps.

The first open house will take place Feb. 27, and another will be held March 12. Both are from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Bogue Falaya Hall of the Greater Covington Center, 317 N. Jefferson.

“All people interested are welcome to come,” said club President Rhett Powers. “We can teach them a couple of quick steps.”

There will be music, food, drinks and — most importantly — square dance lessons. There is no experience necessary, Powers said. Steps will be taught that can be learned in a short period of time; and although square dancers get to dress up in really cool Western attire, casual clothing is welcome at the open house.

The steps will be called by the club’s teacher, Gordon “Bubba” Mingus.

Come back and dance

Powers said he is sure more people would join the Ozone Squares dance nights if they realized how much fun it is.

“Everybody I talk to says, ‘I used to square dance in high school,’” he said. “They all talk about how much fun it was, but strangely enough, it seems to have gotten lost in the modern day shuffle.”

Powers wants them to come back and see what they’ve been missing since then.

“When I went to Loyola, they had some square dancing, and it was a lot of fun,” Powers said. And when he moved to the north shore, he eventually found his way to the Ozone Squares club.

He’s now president of the club, which attracts 45 to 60 members and guests to the Covington Center every Monday night to “allemande left” and “do-si-do” to every kind of music from country to rock and roll.

“We’d like to get the word out and tell people how much fun square dancing is and how it’s beneficial to them,” Powers said.

“You have to think to do it; it’s more than grab your girl and sway. You have to think because you have to know the calls and listen to them and know what to do.”

In other words, you need to exercise your brain.

“It is so much fun to be a part of something that can give you so much in return. It has been a great opportunity to meet new people while getting some exercise.” Powers says.

Anyone with questions about Ozone Squares can call Rhett Powers at 504.957.7260 or Wendy Powers at 985.626.5130.

For information, visit their website at http://www.ozonesquares.com/

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Karen Baker can be reached at kbaker@timespicayune.com or 985.898.4826.